Extracting happiness

"The art of being happy lies in the power to extract

happiness from the common things."

Henry Beecher

We often think that soon a day will come when things will be different... slower, brighter, easier... on that day you will smell the roses, but frankly while we do need to look at where we are going we need to enjoy where we are. Today can have moments, minutes, time... that is slower, brighter, easier.

Case in point... I called my mother today... in the middle of my dialogue she clearly turns to my father (I hear them) and she says 'what's that black thing up there' and then turns her attention back to me. Instead of thinking 'she never listens to me' I actually thought 'who cares about the diversion' - what a blessing it is to hear her voice, to be able to ring her in the middle of a day.

Take a leaf out of Beecher's book and try to find happiness in the common things. Beauty is all around... look.

Weekends are for...

a weekly treat... a dense slice of toasted rye bread, with real butter and liberal smear of great jam. Enjoy your weekend!

A common gift

I have to sometimes remind myself that the seemingly common everyday activities in my life are of great importance... acts of love. Knowing that little eyes are watching and learning is a great responsibility and encouragement, it turns the mundane into a glad service.



"Action springs not from thought but from a readiness for responsibility"
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Weekends are for

picking armfuls of summer plums.

End of summer holidays

After long hours of daylight over the summer, with much swimming, playing and chasing dreams...



today was back to school!

Manuela's Banana Cake

This recipe has been in my oldest self-assembled "cookbook" and is probably 20-25 years old... and... I've never made it.

My sister read it and baked it and I ate it. This cake will cheer anyone up! It's that good... its higher grade Banana Cake... moist and full of flavour.

She thought the cake's icing could have looked neater but she had to virtually throw it at the cake, as a hand-full of us had rushed in with our plates ready.



200g wholewheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
100g brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
100 ml yoghurt / buttermilk
4 mashed bananas
handful of chopped walnuts/pecans - optional

Sift flour, baking powder, spices & salt. Set aside. Whisk wet ingredients together in a jug. Add bananas and sugar (can use up to 130g for a sweeter cake if you are not going to ice it) to jug and blend. Combine gently with flour mixture, adding nuts (if using).

Spoon into a greased baking tin and bake for 30 minutes (or till skewer comes out clean) in a pre-heated oven of 180 deg Cel. Cool in tin.

Remove and coat cake with cream cheese icing and decorate with walnuts/pecans.

Cream cheese icing
100g cream cheese
40g butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
300 g icing sugar
Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add rest and beat till fluffy.

Love your enemies?

What do you do with someone who takes pleasure in your failure? Who gloats at your mistakes?

You want to say the ugly words that form in your mind... you take them captive...
more arrive... do it again.
You can't let them loose... you know that leads to more damage, you have enough already.

You want to put them in their place - but what does that bring? Your spirit knows that it is just as pathetic a behaviour as has been done to you, but your flesh wants to unburden. You must choose. Don't play their game... it's so fruitless.

You swallow the bitter taste and concentrate your mind on who really matters. He knows.

Someone walks in and you answer but you ache. They go.

You need fresh air, fresh wind, a sea breeze... upon your face and your soul... His word is alive and it's remedial properties work.



"He rescued me from my strong enemy and those who hated me... He brought me out into a broad place, He rescued me because He delighted in me." Psalm 18

You can't change others, you can only change yourself... your attitude, your response, your words. You get beauty for ashes.